The Thai cabinet today (Tuesday) rolled out a number of measures to help the public cope with the rising prices of goods, services and energy prices, some resulting from the war in Ukraine.
The measures are as follows:
• Increase in monthly subsidy from 45 to 100 baht for the purchase of cooking gas for household use by 3.6 million state welfare card holders.
• 100 baht discount per month for the purchase of cooking gas for about 5,500 vendors with state welfare cards.
• 250 baht/month subsidy for 157,000 motorcycle taxi drivers for the purchase of gasohol and the Land Transport Department must ensure that there are no hikes in service charges.
• Retail price of NGV is pegged at 15.59 baht per kilogram.
• Taxi drivers under a subsidy scheme can buy LPG for vehicular use at 13.62 baht per litre.
• FT charge for users of not more than 300 electricity units per month to be reduced by 22 satang per unit from May through August.
• Retail price for diesel to be maintained at 30 baht per litre until end of April, after which the government will subsidise half of the price increase above 30 baht.
• The Oil Fund will be used to control price of cooking gas for the months of April, May and June.
• Reduction in the contributions to the social security fund under Section 33 for employers and employees, from 5% to 1%.
• Reduction in the contribution for people under Section 39 of the social security fund from 9% to 1.9% percent and the contribution by freelancers is reduced to between 42 and 180 baht per month.
Unless otherwise specified, the measures will become effective in May and last until the end of July.
The cabinet also instructed the Agriculture and Commerce ministries to develop urgent measures to help farmers ahead of the harvest season.
